January 2011 Classic Trucks Letters - Postage Paid

You're my kind of car guy, err, truck guy. It doesn't have to be a truck just because you're at CT. Many of us have classic cars and trucks; I know I do. I'm sorry you couldn't get someone to haul your Catalina back to California for you. I hope that drive home went OK, and you got home safely without a hitch.

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I've been a frequent seller at the Pomona swap meet and found most people there to be a great bunch. I've sold cars there and delivered them. (Why does everybody say they only live 45 minutes away?). I've hauled parts back to Tucson, Arizona, for friends. I've towed cars back that they bought there, and I've had people haul parts and cars back for me, too. I've hitched rides when I've sold cars that I drove over.

Most car guys will do most anything to help other car guys, whether it's trucks or cars. That's a big part of what makes all this so much fun. Don't feel bad about that Catalina; I hope your wife likes it. If not, it will probably be your daily driver. Enjoy them all!

By the way, I'm glad you're back at the helm of CT.

Bill Wivell
Tucson, Arizona

Thanks for the kind words.

Yeah, I made it home without any major problems, though I did have to nurse the tranny (an old Jetaway Hydromatic) a bit-especially over the Rockies. I totally agree with you in regards to us enthusiasts. The best part of the hobby is the people you meet and the friends you make! All of us who are into classic trucks and hot rods are lucky that way-whenever we meet one another we immediately have something in common to talk about and the friendships develop from there.

Thanks again-and it is great to be back!

Great issue Riz!
I loved the October issue! I had a '70 F-100 painted in black primer with yellow rims (sold it in '98) so I enjoyed the '67 article. One of my current projects involves mounting a '48 Willys cab on a '94 Ranger chassis, so I enjoyed the '56 F-100/F-150 article.

I finally removed the last piece of trim from the front windshield. Screws that have not been turned in 62 years can be a little stubborn. It will be a while before I'm ready for new glass and windshield wipers.

Rewiring? I need to do it on a '60 F-100. The '48 Willys should be a little easier using the '94 Ranger wiring harness.

Oh yeah, congrats on the '60 Pontiac. I had a '60 Catalina convertible when I was in high school. It was fun cruising the Lake Michigan beaches (on the Michigan side) until the wiring harness went up in smoke one day. Another guy had a two-door hardtop and his wiring harness fried as well. A couple of inline fuses were installed on mine when another harness replaced the burned one.

Keep up the great work! And I will continue to subscribe.

Bob O'Connell
Via email

I'm happy you enjoyed the October issue (and hopefully all the rest of 'em too, for that matter). That F-100 on the F-150 chassis was quite the project! Sounds like you've got your hands full projectwise, as well. That Willys/Ranger one sounds interesting. Best of luck with that one and the rest of your projects too. Now I'm going to head home and check the wiring in the Catalina!

I have a '73 Chevy 3/4-ton pickup, with a 350 with a 350 turbo automatic. I want to convert from an automatic transmission to a four-speed manual. Might there have been an article on this in a past issue I missed?

This is a work truck, not for show or speed. I have six other pickups and all are manual shift except for this one. I am hoping to find these items by scrounging around. Can you help?

Steven
Via email

I'd honestly have to go through piles of past issues to be sure, but I don't recall an automatic to standard shift swap story over the past few years. The swap is technically an easy one, and one you can complete with used or boneyard parts for the most part. Since you have such a large stable of pickups you should be familiar with what you'll need, and how you'll have to go about the swap. That said, just make sure you go with brand-new parts when it comes to the clutch disc, pressure plate, and throwout bearing. You may end up having to swap out or modify your driveshaft too as most four-speeds are a bit shorter than the automatics.

Good luck-it'll take a lot longer to gather up the parts than it will to complete the swap. Let me know how it turned out when you're done.